Advertising Signage for Your Next EventPart 1 – Types of Signs and Tips

Tradeshow and event signage is as important as the skill of the sales team standing at your tradeshow booth or table. Seasoned event attendees understand the importance of well-planned tradeshow signs and have often learned their lessons through trial and error. Experience has taught them the tradeshow best practices that are most effective.

The most important lesson a would-be tradeshow attendee can learn about tradeshow advertising signage is that it is advertising. The same rules apply to tradeshow signage as they do to any form of advertising.

This article is intended for anyone who wants a quick primer, or reminder, about the basics of tradeshow and event signage planning, strategy and implementation.

Types of Advertising Signage for Events

While there are other types of event advertising, these are the basic “tools of the tradeshow”. View some examples of event signage.

Quick Tips for Event Signage Advertising

Focus on Benefits

Strong advertising signage focuses its message on the problems you solve for would-be customers: the promise of something achieved through the benefits of purchasing your products and/or services and working with you. Benefits-focused marketing speaks to the audience’s desires – making your product about them, not about you. A benefit, simply put, is the positive outcome a customer will realize through using your products or services.

Some do-it-yourself marketers fall into the features-trap every time they write marketing copy. To help avoid this, read this article on extracting the benefits from your features.

Have a Clear CTA in Your Event Signage

While creating a highly effective call-to-action (CTA) is beyond the scope of this article, it’s a basic rule of any lead-generation campaign (including generating leads at a tradeshow) to have a clear call-to-action that is tied to a dedicated landing page on your company website. The CTA can be simple: “Contact Us”, “Sign Up and Get Your Free ______”, “Sign Up for Your Free Invitation to _____”. The CTA should be incorporated into event graphics and should be easy to read with a clear landing page URL. That landing page welcomes visitors that saw you at the event: “It Was Great to See You at EventCon! Sign Up for Your Free ____!”.

The Higher the Better

Just as advertisements in newspapers are more effective when placed “above the fold” where they are seen, event signage is also more effective when it is placed above the fold. Wait…you’re thinking there isn’t a “fold” at a tradeshow. Well, there is, at least metaphorically. The tradeshow “fold” is below eye level. Eye-level advertising works best to get the attention of passing foot traffic if it is placed at or near eye level. That means your most important event advertising signage headings work best when placed at eye level.

We once saw a tradeshow graphic below the fold. We noticed it after nearly tripping over it. It was a sign on a floor-standing A-frame stand that was only about two feet high. It was definitely below the fold! Tripping your attendees may get their attention, but it’s not the kind of attention you want.

When planning your event signs, consider that you need to be noticed from across the crowded tradeshow space (a sign’s main message placed above eye level) and by passersby (a sign’s main message placed at eye level).

Next month, we’ll conclude our advertising signage tips.

Questions About Event Advertising Signage?

If you have questions about event advertising signage for tradeshows and conventions, contact Sandbox Signs + Graphics. We’ll provide a free consultation and estimate for you.